Any Cat-People are on here? Need advice...

MizzyMuffling · #1 02-23-2021, 05:19 AM

Hi, as some of you might know I've rescued a cat during lockdown in Panama and now I'm in the process of moving back to Germany and we've checked into a hotel while the movers are packing and loading today and tomorrow.
The night was not good, Jack is of course irritated but this early morning he was miauing nonstop, really complaining and being irritated. He got his food, his toys, I'm trying to calm him and pet him, right this second he's next to me on the bed and quiet but I'm really upset on what I could do to make him more comfortable.
I wanted to leave him in the hotel while I'll go back to the apartment during the move.
I feel so bad, he has is own bed here, his transportation bag and I've sprayed Feliway... Should I just leave him be?
He used the litter box and ate a little overnight.
Is this "normal" behavior? I wonder if it's because it's so pitch-black outside (we have a view of the ocean) and maybe it'll get better once it's light out...
Sorry... I just feel to helpless... Any tipps are welcome! Thank you!

**LifeTraveler** · #2 02-23-2021, 06:53 AM

His routine has been changed, and he knows something is going on. Animals sense a lot more than we give them credit for. You've made sure he has everything he needs, so there's not much more you can do for him other than sedate him, and you might not want to do that.

MizzyMuffling · #3 02-23-2021, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LifeTraveler

His routine has been changed, and he knows something is going on. Animals sense a lot more than we give them credit for. You've made sure he has everything he needs, so there's not much more you can do for him other than sedate him, and you might not want to do that.

Thank you! He did calm down for a while and is now hiding behind the curtain while I was taking a shower. I will leave him in the room and I've told service not to enter so he can calm down and have his quiet time with TV and AC :-)
Poor baby, I feel so bad for him...
Thank you again!

**sidewalker** · #4 02-23-2021, 10:00 AM

OH poor Jack. Well just be sure when you get where you need to be that he's kept indoors for a long while (mine were always strictly indoors) as they can freak out with the new surroundings.
I think a call to a vet might be a good idea, to see if he can write a scrip for something to calm him down.

Anyone know of any natural things he might be given ?? I dont know alot about cats.
Here is to hoping he settles in just fine.

MizzyMuffling · #5 02-23-2021, 10:12 AM

Thanks! There's a spray called "Feliway" which calms him and I sprayed his travel bag and his bed a bit with it. I just think it's the new surroundings and smells but we'll have 2 flights ahead of us and 2 more hotels, one for 1 month though in Germany. We'll be home in Germany on Monday... I will talk to the Vet but I hate to put him on something.
I will try and snuggle with him as much as I can...

yourself · #6 02-23-2021, 10:24 AM

If you are going to sedate him for the flight to Germany, you might want to test out the drugs on him now and make sure he does not have a paradoxic reaction.

(Thinking about little Sam who had a paradoxic reaction, escaped his enclosure, and spent a flight running up and down the plane for most of a trip... my ex was not happy)

If it works, he has a calm day without a ton of stress. If not, you have him contained in the hotel room while he bounces off the walls.

But, yeah, he is going to be distressed. When I moved from law school to Illinois, halfway across the country, little Sam took the distance of an entire Southern state to give up on the meowing. Just comfort him and when you get settled again, make sure you domesticate him to travel so that he gets used to it and does not protest. This did not work for Sam, but did work for Jack.

MizzyMuffling · #7 02-23-2021, 11:47 AM

Thanks & lol... sorry... I can see myself already on the plane with Jack hollering for 8 hours... They're going to give me a parachute to deplane over the Atlantic...
Will talk to the Vet, cannot hurt.
Thank you!

saskatchewanian · #8 02-23-2021, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzyMuffling

Thanks & lol... sorry... I can see myself already on the plane with Jack hollering for 8 hours... They're going to give me a parachute to deplane over the Atlantic...
Will talk to the Vet, cannot hurt.
Thank you!

I did sedate mine once when flying (a 1.5 hour flight) and my vet later told me that I should not have done that as it can cause heart and respiratory problems. (They were prescribed for road travel only I guess and I used them for multipurpose travelling.)

Granted that was 10 years ago so maybe sedation meds have changed in that time but...just thought I should mention it.

**LifeTraveler** · #9 02-23-2021, 05:03 PM

Even though cats are a lot more independent than dogs, they do have their routines also and can get quite snarky when removed from their regular surroundings. Mine HATED riding in the car, but that's because he knew that meant he was going to the vet office. I always had to put him in a carrier, or he would crawl under my driver's seat and I had hell getting him out.

MizzyMuffling · #10 02-24-2021, 09:26 AM

He was better last night and even played and ate something, used the litter-box. He does complain in the mornings a bit that I won't let him out on the balcony without his harness and leash which he also hates because he could fall off but other than that... he seems getting better.
He just doesn't know that he'll be on a plane on Friday and Sunday.. he'll be so pissed...

**patchouli** · #11 02-24-2021, 10:32 PM

I'm not real familiar with cats & traveling with them in tow....but maybe a stuffed animal (cat?) would help him on the flight - assuming he'll be crated for the entire trip.

MizzyMuffling · #12 02-25-2021, 05:18 AM

I actually have a "twin" for Jack but that would make his travel bag really crowded so I've decided against it.
I guess we'll have have to tough it out...

mauri23 · #13 02-25-2021, 04:04 PM

I wish both of you a safe trip home and hope you enjoy it back in our latitudinal lines